The King spoke the same musical language as the grand one, but in a deep and ringing voice; and after giving direction to the first healer, moved to look down on Raini.Another basin of steaming water was fetched – and this time, the King reached into a small, red pouch at his belt and pulled out two small leaves.He cupped them in his hands, breathed on them, and then crushed them slightly before tossing them in the basin.The room immediately filled with a fresh, clean scent that even had Ivoreth looking up in surprise.

Whatever the smell was, it made Raini take a deep breath and then immediately begin to cough again.The King frowned and then, as the other had done before, bent to listen at her chest.The two had a quick, quiet discussion in the musical language, and then the King gave another soft order that had both healers rushing from the room – Ivoreth guessed to bring something else.She was beyond disbelief – Raini was getting help from the King himself!

Maybe she’ll live after all!

If she had thought herself surprised before, she stared when the King once more unwrapped Raini and, with another fluffy cloth dipped in the steaming water that smelled so wonderful, began bathing her completely.Even more strangely, the one she had come seeking had begun to softly sing a song that, while Ivoreth couldn’t understand the words, made her think of bright stars and gentle breezes.Unable to keep tears from falling from her eyes, Ivoreth crouched down in her corner, folding herself into the smallest ball she could and throwing her good arm over her head again.

Something wonderful was happening – and it was for Raini, not her.Her part in protecting her little sister was over.She might not trust Lord Elladan, but all the stories told that Elessar was a fair and kind King – and if he were there now, giving her little sister a bath, surely he would see to it that nothing bad happened to her.In him she could trust just enough to let go.

She felt movement around her, but didn’t look up to see who had come into the room.It wasn’t until a new scent met her nose that she raised her head only to gape again.King Elessar was sitting in a chair next to the high bed with Raini in his arms, now dressed in much smaller version of the sleeping gown that she herself had been given, and was rocking her gently with his grey eyes closed.The other grand man was still singing softly, but now his grey-blue eyes were on her.Ivoreth blushed and ducked her head under her arm again.

Ivoreth sighed as the gentle song came to an end.For a few minutes, she could have believed that life could be beautiful – but now it was over.She heard the two men confer again, and then felt one of them come close to her.

“Look at me, child.”

The King’s deep voice was gentle, but it obviously expected to be obeyed.Ivoreth pulled her arm down and looked into warm grey that shone with caring.Yes, Elessar was a man she could trust.

“She will live – it will be a while, and she will need to stay here, but she will run and play again.”

She doesn’t remember ever doing that.It was always too dangerous to let her run and play on the ledge.

But he didn’t need to know that.“Thank you.”Ivoreth couldn’t bring her voice to make a sound, so she whispered her gratitude.Then, knowing there to be nothing else to be said, lowered her head and pulled her good arm over it again.She was ready for the Guards now.

“No, look at me.”The King pushed her arm back down and used a finger to raise Ivoreth’s chin up again.“Look at me,” he insisted again, and Ivoreth opened her eyes once more.“Where are your parents that you and your sister are in such a state?”

“Dead,” Ivoreth answered in a flat voice.

“How long?”

She tried to look away, but a firm but gentle finger beneath her chin wouldn’t allow it.“Since the siege.”

The King’s eyes looked pained.“And who has taken care of you since then?”

Ivoreth felt her guilt weigh her down.

Daren.Evien.

“I did – or I tried to.”

“And is this why you say you’re a thief – because you tried to take care of your sister?”

Ivoreth tried to avoid the silver gaze to no avail.She nodded and closed her eyes.

I did what I had to do to keep us all alive for as long as I could.I’d do it again.

“And now you think you’re going to go to prison – or be killed.”

Again she nodded, this time with a shudder.

This is what happens to thieves.And the King agrees.

The finger left her chin, allowing her to retreat into herself.She’d disappointed him, she just knew it.And as much as she knew she’d had no choice in the matter, his disappointment hurt almost as much as her Nan’s would have.

It doesn’t matter.They can do to me what they want – as long as Raini is safe.

The last thing Ivoreth expected was to suddenly find herself lifted up.She opened her eyes in shock to find herself borne in the arms of the King, who was settling himself back down in the chair where he’d been sitting with Raini.She looked across the room in confusion, only to find the grand one sitting in a second chair that had appeared from nowhere while she hadn’t been looking; and he was cradling Raini in his arms, patiently spooning more of the medicine tea into her and rocking her when she coughed.

She looked back up into the face of the King, lost and afraid, and was greeted with a gentle smile and a warm, grey gaze.“You’re safe now,” Elessar told her, and a gentle hand pulled her head to his shoulder.“Nobody wishes to harm you.Be at peace, little one.Rest.You’ve earned it.”

Ivoreth relaxed as a wave of utter calm washed over and through her.She could hear the King’s deep voice ringing inside her head, urging her to rest.She closed her eyes.It had been a long time since she’d been able to truly sleep…

oOoOo

Ivoreth floated gently awake.She was warm and comfortable; and from the coughing, she could tell Raini was somewhere nearby.And yet, she felt empty inside – hollow, asif everything that had given her reason to move forward had been scoured away.She opened her eyes and found herself wondering if she’d slipped backwards in time.

The room looked much like the one in which she had awakened almost a lifetime ago.Stone walls surrounded her, and a window stood open on the far wall to let in the light of the sun and the sounds of the City.Ivoreth turned her head and saw that Raini was in the other bed in the room, propped high on a stack of pillows and resting better than she had for days.Another slight shift of the head gave her a view of the quiet woman in grey who sat in the chair between the beds and then smiled to see her looking back.There was the low chest between the beds, complete with pitcher and ewer, candle and candleholder, and the low stack of folded cloth.

Ivoreth could feel that her sore arm was once again bound to her chest, and she glanced down to see that she’d been dressed in another clean linen sleeping gown before she’d been placed between the covers of her bed.Were it not for the empty feeling inside, she would have stretched and let herself enjoy the warmth and comfort – but now, all she could think of was Daren and Evien – and the way she’d disappointed not only the King, but her Nan.She turned her head to the wall and closed her eyes, wishing she could go to sleep and just not wake up again.

But sleep wouldn’t come.Long moments of quiet stretched into each other, and Ivoreth found herself thinking of her brother and sister who were lost to her.She’d tried – she really had – to hold her little family together.But it had all been for nothing.Evien had died, Daren had been caught by the Guards and taken away.She hadn’t even been able to take care of Raini properly.She’d lost the medicine – and then had been forced to bring her up the hill to the Houses of Healing before that little sister died too.And now that Raini was under Lord Elladan’s and the King’s care and doing so much better, there was nothing left for her to do, no reason for her to be here.There was nothing for her to do, that is, but give over what was left of her life into the keeping of the Guards – who, if they were at all merciful, would make a quick end of her.

Why don’t they just come for me and get it over with?

The edge of her bed dipped as someone sat down, but Ivoreth kept her eyes closed and her face turned away.

Maybe whoever it is will go away.

“My brother told me that the young one I’d rescued from the rogue Guards had shown up again last night, asking for me, and now Mareth tells me you’re awake.”It was Lord Elladan.“So I had to see how you are faring this morning.”

What does he mean, his brother told him I’d come back again? That wasn’t him?

Ivoreth’s heart skipped a beat as she vaguely remembered two identical riders on either side of the King.

Who helped Raini last night, if not Lord Elladan?

“No, none of this now...”A large hand reached out and gently pulled her face back to the center of the room.“I know you can hear me.Open your eyes.”

I don’t want to.Go away.

“Open your eyes and look at me, little one.I want to talk to you.” the musical voice urged, in a tone that was so like the King’s – expecting to be obeyed.Ivoreth opened her eyes, but when she tried to feel angry at the interruption, all she could find was the hollow feeling inside.It was useless.She’d do as she was told, and nothing more.She had energy for nothing more, and nothing important to say to anyone anymore.

“Good morning.”The hand remained against her cheek.“Can you tell me your name?”

It doesn’t matter.

“I don’t want to keep calling you ‘little one’.I know you must have a name…”The grand one was smiling at her, and the look in his eyes pleaded for her trust as it had before.“Is it such hard thing to do – to tell me your name?”

“Ivoreth,” she sighed at last, giving in.At least, when they called her to the scaffold to hang for her crimes, they could call her by name.

“Ivoreth,” Lord Elladan repeated, his accent giving the sounds an unusual twist.“I am Elladan, and I’m glad you came back.You worried me – and then, when I saw you in the City, you ran away.I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon, frankly.”

“Raini was dying.”Ivoreth stated the simple truth.“I had no choice but to come.”

The healer who had probably left to summon Lord Elladan chose to return at that moment, carrying a tray covered with a small square of cloth.This time, however, the smell of the rich soup did little but turn Ivoreth’s stomach.Lord Elladan pulled her forward into his chest, as he had done before, and shifted the pillows around so that she could sit up in bed.He took charge of the tray from the healer, placing it on Ivoreth’s lap as before and tucked the cloth into the neck of her gown.Ivoreth couldn’t even summon the energy to flinch from his touch.

“You can eat while we talk.It will do you good.”

“I’m not hungry.”Ivoreth turned her face to the wall again.

The large hand was back at her cheek again, bring her back to face him again.“Yes, you are.My brother tells me he could count your ribs when he dressed you last night.You need to eat.”

Ivoreth rebelled in the only way she could – she kept her eyes closed.“I don’t want it.”

Leave me alone.

The large hand smoothed back her hair from her face.“You are too young to know this kind of despair.”

She simply pressed her lips together and remained silent.There was nothing he could do to change what had gone before – Evien would still be dead, and Daren still gone.

“No she doesn’t,” slipped out before Ivoreth could control her tongue.But once it was said, it was like a weight dropping away to have the truth out in the open.“Just promise me she’ll never be sold into slavery.”

“She will never be a slave, Ivoreth – such things aren’t allowed in Gondor.You should know this.”

Lies!

At last Ivoreth had a reason to summon the strength to open her eyes and glare.“My Da was sold as a slave from an orphanage here in the City when he was a boy.He wore the scars from the beatings he got until the day he….”Her throat closed down before she could finish the though, and she closed her eyes and turned away again.“It doesn’t matter anymore anyway,” she choked out.“Just promise me.”

“Very well.”The hand took one of hers and held it tightly.“I don’t know what happened to your adar, Ivoreth; but if it will make you feel better, I give you my oath that your little sister will only have the best of care.She will never be mere property to be bought, sold or traded away, and she will know herself loved and cherished – as will you.”

She shook her head.“Not me.I’m a thief – the Guards will come for me soon.”

“Why would they come for you?Have you stolen anything?”

He didn’t know?They didn’t tell him?

“A blanket, and a candle and candle holder – the first night I was here,” she whispered.“I’m sorry.I needed the coin for medicine, and it gets cold…”She couldn’t continue.

“Ah!”A second hand joined the first, imprisoning hers.“And for that, you believe the Guards are going to come take you away to the gallows?”

Ivoreth nodded and swallowed hard.

“And yet, my brother told me that the King himself told you that you were safe, did he not?”He paused and waited for an answer, and Ivoreth finally gave a tiny nod.“Do you believe the King would lie to you this way – give you false hope and comfort only to turn around and hand you over to the Guards?”

She opened her eyes wide at that, and then slowly shook her head.She hadn’t thought of that.If Elessar truly were as great as all the stories, he wouldn’t do that.

Would he?

Lord Elladan smiled at her.“Then set aside your worries, Ivoreth.Eat and get your strength back – you will need it for when the healers want you to take a larger role in taking care of your sister.”He took one of the pieces of bread and tore it in two, and then soaked up some of the rich broth before holding it out.“Eat.”

Ivoreth looked from the dark brown-soaked bread to the beautiful grey-blue eyes and shook her head again. “I’m not hungry,” she repeated dully.

I don’t deserve it – and Raini doesn’t need me anymore anyway.

His gaze grew intense, and Ivoreth wondered if he knew how to see down into the very deepest, darkest corners of her soul.“There is more to this, isn’t there.”It wasn’t a question.

She closed her eyes and turned her face away.

Just leave me alone.

She felt the tray being removed from her lap and be placed on the low chest not far away.Large hands landed on her shoulders and pulled her forward again to lay against soft, rich fabric, and then strong arms wrapped around her to hold her close.He began to sing softly, his voice obviously meant only for her; and even though she once more could understand nothing of what he sang, her mind filled with the images of green trees, gentle breezes and clear, running water.It was an aching beauty that soon had her shuddering in a futile desire to run far away into such a view – or to go looking for her little brother behind some hidden bush.

One arm tightened around her, and the other large hand gently stroked her hair as her head lay against the rich robe.The song changed slightly, and the images in Ivoreth’s mind slowly changed to a clear night with stars sparkling like jewels overhead and a moon giving everything below a soft, silver glow.It was an image that poured peace and calm like a soothing balm over the open wounds that had drained her of all but either agony or emptiness.

Ivoreth took a long, deep breath, and let herself slip away into the gentle vision – and with no reason to stay in the moment, she was soon asleep again.